Found this short explanation of these delicacies on Mangia Bene Pasta.
Not very long ago, many rural homes in southern Italy didn’t have stoves with ovens, so it was impossible to bake. For most special occasions, families enjoyed fried treats. Today even homes in remote areas have ovens, but the fried pastry tradition remains. The names and shapes of these fried delicacies differ from region to region. Zeppole are a traditional treat made for St. Joseph’s Day which is March 19. Fried pastries are also a typical sweet made for Carnevale which is similar to Mardi Gras in the US, and is the final celebration before Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent.
Delicate strips of sweetened fried dough are eaten throughout Italy and are know by a variety of regional names. Southern Italians call them “chiacchiere”, meaning gossip. Nocché, Guandi and Fritelle are other names used in and around the Molise region.
The strips are also know as nastri delle suore (nun’s ribbons), cenci (rags and tatters), crostoli in Trieste and Fruili, galani in Veneto, and frappe in Umbria. Just as the names are different, the recipes for bow ties vary slightly from one region to another.
Ingredients
(makes about 40)
1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cups flour
4 tbsp unsalted butter (or oil)
3 eggs
1 tablespoon brandy (vanilla or other liquor)
rind of one lemon
a pinch of salt
Vegetable oil for frying
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Instructions
Mix the ingredients and work into a rather firm dough.
The dough should be smooth and elastic.
If dough is too soft, add more flour.
Flour it, wrap it in a cloth, and allow it to rest.
Divide the dough in half.
Roll out one piece of the dough to about 1/8-inch thick in a rectangular shape.
Using a pastry cutter, cut the dough into strips 4 inches long by 2 inches wide.
Cut a small slit in the center of each strip.
Take one end of the strip and pull it through the slit in the center.
This will give you a bow tie shape.
Continue rolling and shaping all the dough.
Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F.
Drop a few of the bow ties into the oil.
Only fry 4 to 5 pieces at a time so they are not crowded in the oil.
Fry 1 to 2 minutes, until lightly browned on both sides.
Remove the bow ties from the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer to paper towels.
When cool, dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Variations of recipe online & from friends
500 gr flour
3 eggs
100 gr sugar
50 gr butter
grated rind of one lemon
3 tbsp milk (brandy, grappa, orange juice)
8 gr baking powder
pinch of salt
Vegetable oil for frying
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Video from blogdolci.com for chiacchiere (nocche)
Video for zeppole / crispelle – Traditional christmas recipe from Nonna Cenzina
Video of zeppole made at home by Benedetta
Video of zeppole (very similar to our scr’pelle)
un poco di tutto 